The present invention relates generally to a device for facilitating breast examination and for recording the location of suspect lumps.
Tactile physical examination of the breast is an important screen for breast cancer. The palpation or detection of lumps in the breast is the principle objective of physical examination. Both physician examination and patient self examination are widely endorsed and practiced. Early detection of lumps is desirable but difficult due to the relatively small size of emerging lumps and their location within a mass of otherwise healthy tissue. As a consequence, in many instances a single lump will be evaluated by several people to confirm detection. During this serial examination process, the suspect lump must be located repeatedly. Examiners have historically found that it is difficult to describe and record the location of the lump in an accurate manner or in a manner that will allow a subsequent examiner to find the lump reliably. Location, and subsequent re-location, is further complicated by the pliability or lack of stability of breast tissue.
There exist a number of other challenges to detecting a lump through tactile examination. For example, there is a tendency for a lump to move under the pressure of the examiner""s hand during examination. Further, some modest patients are stressed by a tactile examination.
The present invention is directed to aid in recording the location of a detected lump such that the lump can be easily relocated.
The present invention is an examination device that assists in the stabilization of tissue during examination and that facilitates the reliable and convenient description of the location of a lump for subsequent relocation or treatment.